


Cloudless Clear Skies

by Masdevallia



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Hubert POV, Mid-Timeskip, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Secrets, Self Confidence Issues, Soft Hubert von Vestra, Stalking, Supernatural Elements, no beta we die like Glenn, pegasus rider!Bernadetta, sickfic but with a twist, slightly canon slightly au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27319651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masdevallia/pseuds/Masdevallia
Summary: After one rather strange evening, Bernadetta suddenly becomes ill. Her lover, Hubert, grows concerned and tries to get to the bottom of this situation.Written for Hubernie Halloween Week, Day 1, Stalker.
Relationships: Bernadetta von Varley/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	Cloudless Clear Skies

**Author's Note:**

> This is sort of late but it's still Halloween here (Just after 11PM, to be precise) and I wanted to do something for Hubernie Halloween Week. I'm so busy that most of the event projects I'm working on are likely going to be delayed. Anyway please enjoy!

**Horsebow Moon, 1185**

The notion of finding someone who was strongly compatible, to embark on a courtship with someone during the middle of a _war_ , was ridiculous to Hubert von Vestra, but that was exactly what had happened to him. 

Bernadetta von Varley was soft and gentle and creative, but she hid a more determined exterior, one that showed she wasn’t just for herself, but cared for Edelgard and the Empire itself. Once she had opened herself up to him, it was easy to fall under her spell, not that Bernadetta was magically proficient, she had only just enough to defend herself in a pinch. She had other skills used for combat, as well, including archery, lancework, horseback riding, and using flying mounts, notably the pegasus. 

There was so much more to Bernadetta than what meets the eye.

And he had considered himself so lucky that it was just them tonight in his room.

She had invited herself over, bringing some bittersweet cakes she had made, fully aware he had a distaste for sweets.

Bernadetta was, much to his surprise, the one to usually initiate their romantic encounters. He didn’t mind, after all, he preferred it that way, having known her backstory.

She lay on top of him, their clothes on (except for their capes and his jacket), her lips on his. Both of them were too shy and had agreed it was too early in their relationship to initiate anything that could be too much, too soon. Not to mention, since their Professor was still missing and there was a war raging on, it would create excessive complications if they weren’t cautious. 

Yet Hubert could barely breathe whenever Bernadetta held him like this.

She kissed his lips, cheeks, nose, forehead in random bursts. It was moments like these when he felt not like he was Edelgard’s sinister shadow, but someone who was cared for. It made him want to do impulsive things, like ask for her hand or perhaps even kill her father once she’d give him the go-ahead.

Bernadetta broke the kiss, laughing. Her body was still nestled comfortably on top of him.

“Is something the matter?” he asked.

“To think I used to be scared of you, Hubert.” With one hand, she tucked his hair behind his ear. He didn’t like people being able to touch him like this, but it was clear that it was easier to kiss him otherwise. 

“True,” he said, kissing her lips for a second. “I assume nothing scares you any longer these days.”

“Hmm...nope. You’re here to chase out all the bad things.” She kissed him again, her lips playful and teasing. “And um, if you want, I can try to do the same to you.”

“The things that frighten me…” Hubert began, “are terrors that you have already seen. Of the Goddess striking down and taking away all that’s dear to me, of monsters who act under her agency and will, of seeing my loved ones suffering.”

Her hands were on his shoulders, holding herself steady. “So no irrational fears like bugs or the dark or shadows anything like that?”

Hubert laughed, “Is that me you’re describing?” With his strength (more than he expected to use), he casually moved Bernadetta below him, pinning her down.

She was giggling, her laughter so pleasant to hear. “You’re definitely not a bug!”

“Are you certain about that, my carnivorous plant?” He kissed her again, sparking another intimate moment between them that no one else would see. “So sticky sweet,” he teased between kisses. 

But perhaps now would be the time to tell her one...irrational fear of sorts. 

He broke the kiss. “There is one thing...promise me you won’t laugh.”

“What is it?”

“Lofty views...I cannot stand in areas taller than the Goddess Tower or else I’ll feel uncomfortable. That discomfort, naturally, shows in the presence of the beings in which people use to take to the skies.”

Bernadetta nodded. “Ohh,” she said, drawing out the word. “So you’re kind of afraid of pegasus and Wyverns?” 

“The irony. I know.” He kissed her temple. Bernadetta, much to everyone’s astonishment, was a capable Pegasus Knight. Their professor had realized it two months into their tenure, giving the smallest girl at Garreg Mach such a large animal to ride. She was able to take to the skies and temper her bow with ease, terrorizing their enemies. She would also use her ability to take flight as means of watching for enemies, of ensuring they wouldn’t be ambushed. She had a good relationship with animals, unlike him, and her relationship with Blueberry, her pegasus, was based on mutual trust. Hubert admired her for that.

“That explains why I never see you around when I’m taking care of Blueberry.”

“Not in battle.” He was always worried about the ever looming threat of archers and mages who could take her down with hurricane force winds. Bernadetta always knew when to dismount and go on foot, however. “Besides, I am usually far too busy to--”

Bernadetta gasped. “Oh my gosh, Blueberry! I forgot to feed her!” She wriggled under Hubert. “Ahh I’m such a bad pegasus mom!” Bernadetta left the bed. “Sorry Hubert!” She put on her small cape and boots. “I have to go. I’ll be right back!” Bernadetta kissed Hubert one last time on the lips, a quick peck, before she bolted out of the door.

Hubert was astonished as to how quickly she moved. One minute he had successfully had her pinned down beneath him, the next, she was gone in a flash.

He figured she would come back eventually where they would continue their physical affection until one of them decided they would go to sleep. Sometimes he would carry her to bed, other times, she would sleep over. Hubert loved those moments where she was at her most vulnerable, at her most comfortable and that she allowed him to see her like that. He took out a book and began to read.

An hour had passed. There was no way Bernadetta would take an hour to feed her pegasus. Not unless they got ambushed here at the monastery. 

But she had been fast. The chances were unlikely.

He got out of the dorms and walked across the pond. It was obvious to anyone there weren't any signs of an ambush. Everything had remained still, if not dilapidated from the battle four and a half years ago. 

Edelgard said she would get around to repairing it, but it was low on her priority list. Waging war was expensive and it was more important to keep the masses well-stocked and well-fed. It was a good thing they had Brigid on their side for that.

The stables were eerily quiet. He recognized Blueberry eating merrily in their stall, but no signs of Bernadetta.

“Where did she go?”

Naturally, the next best place to look for her was her room.

He took care to knock first. “Bernadetta, are you in there?”

He heard stirring, which calmed his nerves down. “Huh, what? Hubert?”

That was undeniably her voice, yet she sounded...off. In what way? Hubert couldn’t place it. “Is everything alright, dear?”

“Oh, um, I’m just really tired. Kind of worn out. Sorry, I don’t think I can cuddle tonight.”

It was odd that she was refusing spending the night with him, or at least a portion of it. She was generally quite enthusiastic. But he knew better than to push her once she said what she wanted. “Alright, Bernadetta. Sleep well.” 

***

The next day, Bernadetta was in her room and only in her room. It was as though she had adopted her habits again. 

“Sorry, Hubert. I’m still not feeling well.”

“Do you need anything? Say the word and I’ll fetch you what you need.”

“N-no. That’s alright. Thanks.”

He did not want to leave. Clearly something was amiss. 

“Hubert?” She knew he was still waiting at her door.

“Yes?”

“I said I’m fine. I don’t need you to worry about me!” With her saying that, Hubert could only do one thing: worry more about her. “Please go do what you usually do. I’ll be fine.”

Hubert did not want to appear needy, but he was concerned. He had wondered if Bernadetta was experiencing her monthly courses. After all, they had plagued Edelgard violently. Perhaps it was the same for her and she wanted to be alone. 

Surely, she would come around during the next few days after the worst of it would come to pass. 

Then he could stop worrying.

* * *

**Wyvern Moon, 1185**

Hubert’s concerns proved to be futile. Two days after that morning where Bernadetta turned Hubert away from her room, she was back to normal. The only exceptions were when she would wince each time Hubert tried to be on top of her during their makeout sessions, so he let her take the lead. 

He had wondered if she had suffered an injury of some sort. Was she actually attacked and hiding it? What was the issue?

But a week after that, she no longer displayed any traits of being injured. Still, he took the liberty of going to Dorothea early during the Wyvern Moon to check on her. It perhaps was a violation of privacy, but at the same time, he was the second in command. It was his business to know if she was at the ready to fight. He just couldn’t shake off this feeling he was having. He needed to ensure Bernadetta was alright.

“Dorothea,” he said to the visiting songstress. She did come to the monastery every so often, mostly to check on the town residents. Out of all of the Black Eagles, she had refused the position of being a “general”, instead opting to do more humanitarian tasks, mostly of the medical variety and for the destitute and with children.

“Hubie,” she said, giving him a pert smile. “To what do I owe you this visit?”

“I’ll be brief. Has Bernadetta visited you any time recently?”

Dorothea lit up like a candle. It was rare when she did that nowadays. “She did give me a birthday cake for my birthday. Strawberry flavored, in fact!” She giggled. “She’s so sweet! You’re a very lucky man, Hubie!’”

Hubert had remembered Dorothea’s birthday, and for it, he had given her a stipend for charity work. However, he had forgotten her birthday was a recent affair. “I meant more of the medical variety.”

“No. She hasn’t confided with me on that.” Dorothea’s lips turned into an o shape. “Wait, are you…Did you...”

Hubert knew where she was going with that and cut her short. “It is nothing of the sort, Dorothea. Please do not infer over what Bernadetta and I do during our time with each other. My concern is that recently I’ve noticed she’s shown more exhaustion than usual. She also appears to be in pain when a certain body part is touched.” He gestured over to where the area of concern was. “She tells me not to worry, but...heh.” 

“How cute,” Dorothea said. “But it could be many things. War does tire us all.” She placed her hand over her mouth, as though contemplating. “It’s likely Bernadetta may have been injured in some way.”

“That’s what I was concerned about. Which leads me to my final point. The change in Bernadetta was startling. We were sharing snacks together and having a chat, the next moment, she leaves to attend to her pegasus for some reason or another. She is gone for over an hour and when I seek her out, she lies in her room, rejecting any help I’d be willing to give.”

Dorothea nods the entire time. “I see. Well, it could be the opposite of what I had initially thought.” Her tone was cheeky. “She could be...well, you know. Having that ‘time’ like girls are apt to do.”

“That would be the likely explanation, but I cannot help but sense something is amiss. I would ask Bernadetta, but you know how she is.”

“Of course. If you do bring it up, please be sensitive. Either she believes the problem will go away or maybe the problem is too big for her to handle. If it’s the latter, I think she’ll seek you out. After all, you’re her Hubiekins, aren’t you?”

Hubert’s face went flush. Bernadetta never gave him embarrassing nicknames, but when Dorothea put things like that, he felt mortified at the showing of emotions. He would have to let the subject go, but Bernadetta’s well being meant everything to him.

***

“Bernadetta. Is everything alright?” he asked her a few weeks after his visit to Dorothea. Dorothea had agreed to keep their meeting hush-hush, if only because of Hubert’s concerns and how their talk was benign.

Bernadetta had grown quieter than usual. She was naturally a person whose disposition was quiet save for whenever her anxiety struck, which was rarer and rarer these days. “I-I’m f-fine, Hubert. Really.”

She hadn’t gone out of her room today at all. 

Edelgard had come back from the capital and had been asking for Bernadetta. Edelgard had given Hubert her blessing and encouragement in their relationship, telling him it was okay to have other endeavors, to be selfish and to devote his time to another. 

Bernadetta loved Edelgard, as well, but she had declined tea with them.

“Edelgard’s been asking for you.”

“I’m so sorry, Hubert. I’m just not feeling well.”

Their reunion was in two months. Soon enough, the others would return to reside here full time.

“Do you need anything? A cloth? A bucket of hot water?” He thought of all the things that could soothe her. “Tea leaves?”

“N-nope. Don’t worry about me! Really!”

“Alright. Feel better.” Hubert sighed and turned.

“Hubert?” he heard her voice, small and almost inaudible. 

“Yes?”

“You’re amazing, you know that?” It was a complement, but were it not for the fact that she sounded so defeated when she said it, he would have pocketed it for the rest of the day.

“I can say the same for you.”

***

After an unexpectedly prolonged teatime with Edelgard that extended after the moon arose, Hubert went back to Bernadetta’s door, all the while escorting Edelgard to her room.

The courtyard was silent. With the monastery being akin to closely guarded ruins, any feelings of unease were out in the open. Hubert himself feared the idea of a giant dragon coming to attack the monastery, even though Edelgard took to great lengths to keep her presence a secret here.

“It’s a little...unsettling here, don’t you think, Hubert?”

“I am mostly concerned about the cold, Lady Edelgard.” The cold could be biting. It would only grow worse in the coming months.

“Surely you feel it, too.”

Hubert had already taken out one of his secret daggers. Edelgard had likely done the same. Something had flashed in the darkness, like a pair of eyes. Eyes that weren’t human. 

“Mrowr.” A Bergliez Shorthair had rubbed itself on Hubert’s leg.

Hubert wanted to exhale, yet logically it did make sense. Cats and dogs were a common sight at the monastery. Yet he could feel the sensation of being watched. 

“Looks like a friend wanted to say hello,” Edelgard teased. 

He picked up the cat. “My apologies, kitten, but I do not have fish on my person.” He gave it a pat before setting it down. Hubert promised himself to find the cat and compensate him, after all, the cats here did exterminate the vermin that infested the monastery, especially since it had been a lot emptier.

“We should be on our way,” Hubert said.

Edelgard had separated from him, going to their dorm rooms. It was very much a room fit for an emperor, but Edelgard insisted it was fine. “I will see you tomorrow, Hubert,” she said.

Hubert’s blood ran cold when he saw Bernadetta’s door was flung wide open. A cold draft had entered the room, knocking down her supplies to the floor. Hubert momentarily thought of her hurting herself with the fallen needles, but the more pressing matter was that Bernadetta was not inside her room.

“Bernadetta?”

He closed the door to her room before going to the places where he thought she could be. He visited his dorm room, the greenhouse, the docks, the dining hall, the stables, his office, and Bernadetta was nowhere in sight.

He knew better than to panic, but the possibility of her being kidnapped or taken by the Fareghan forces or worse yet--the Church was something he couldn’t ignore.

Yet there were no signs of a struggle or a breach of some sort. Not even a ransom or offer of surrender.

He had cornered the guard and interrogated him and the townsfolk if they saw a girl with short hair at any point. 

Bernadetta would have told him if she had a mission. But she wouldn’t simply leave her door open.

The night had passed and dawn had approached as he searched for her. He was about to call for a search and rescue when he made the last minute choice to visit her room one more time. Mostly so he could pick up a pillow for a scent dog to pick up on. He opened the door, resolving to at least pick up the needles that had fallen.

But Bernadetta was inside, wearing a nightgown.

She screamed in shock. “Hubert?” 

He closed his eyes. “Thank goodness you’re safe.” He closed the gap between them and gave her a bone-crushing hug, ignoring the fact that she was pale. All that mattered was that she was here, safe. 

“O-of course I am. What made you think I wasn’t?”

Hubert explained her door was open and that he spent the entire night searching for her. “Where were you?”

“I uh...I…” She was so pale that she collapsed on the bed.

“Shh, don’t strain yourself.” He yawned. 

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I promise nothing bad happened to me last night.” She hugged him again, her attempts feeble. “You look tired, Hubert.” She climbed on her bed. “Stay with me.”

Hubert had errands he needed to run. But he had lost the entire evening looking for her. He accepted her offer, taking her in his arms. “Bernadetta, you...you matter to me. If anything were to happen to you, I’d be devastated.” It sounded pathetic, but he didn’t care.

Bernadettta’s tired gray eyes met his. Her hand found his chin. “Hubert...I’m sorry. I promise I’ll check for the door when I leave my room. I’m fine, really. You’ve got bigger things to worry about than Ol’ Bernie, alright?” She lifted herself up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

With the adrenaline rush fading and with no caffeine in his system, Hubert felt his body shutting down. The last thing he noticed before falling asleep was a fading bruise on the right side of her body, near her shoulder.

* * *

**Red Wolf Moon, 1185**

Hubert had steeled himself when Bernadetta turned everyone away. 

Already his warning bells had started ringing. Bernadetta never gave him a straight answer as to where she was that night. She was clearly fearful. Of what, he did not know.

They had only been in a relationship for less than a year and given Bernadetta’s...traumatic upbringing, it was natural that Bernadetta still had her inner demons. After all, he had contended with Edelgard’s for so long. Yet he wished she could trust him. Hubert didn’t consider himself someone worthy of trust, but he figured it had to be earned.

This month Hubert was too busy to spend nights with Bernadetta. In fact, he had left for Enbarr to ensure that the proper preparations would be made for the five year reunion. 

For years, Edelgard had held onto the idea her beloved Professor would come back and put an end to this never ending war. Hubert wasn’t sure if it was healthy for her to hold onto the fantasy that their Professor would be back, but all he could do was make preparations. 

When he had come back to the monastery, the first place he reported to was Bernadetta’s room. He had made it back before nightfall and wanted to surprise her.

...Except he caught her on her way out.

Bernadetta did not see him, especially since she appeared to be in a rush.

Hubert followed, as she didn’t enter the greenhouse nor did she veer in the direction of the dining area.

She was fast. Hubert always knew that, but since she grew taller, it was something of a challenge to keep up with her pace, but he still had a height advantage.

Bernadetta moved into the town, ignoring all of the shops and people and out of the gates. 

Hubert continued to follow.

As she ran into a densely packed forest, Hubert could now only feel the stinging cold nip at him despite wearing a wool jacket. He ignored the feeling of the cold air seeping into his lungs as he tried to keep an eye on Bernadetta, even as the daylight faded. 

What business could she possibly have in the forest? The wolves were known to be on the prowl this time of year, looking to stockpile their meals for the winter and the trees hadn’t yet lost their leaves. He had been careful not to step on twigs or bring cause to alert his presence. 

However, the last ray of light had faded from the sky and Hubert was met with a twilight sky as he was alone in the trees, now losing sight of Bernadetta. He didn’t understand any of this. 

He kept up his search for her after, but had to pull back once he heard the wolves howl from a few miles away, not to mention, the cold would be a problem if he lingered any longer.

Surely Bernadetta would have escaped the forest by now.

What was her game?

He stood, waiting inside the greenhouse, where it was warm.

The plants looked as healthy as ever, as Bernadetta was their only caretaker. He eyed a pitcher plant she had been growing and drew his fingers to it. 

“I do not know what is happening.” All he knew was that something was deeply _wrong._

When Hubert felt warmed up, he left for the docks and stayed there, except he had a sensation of being watched. It didn’t fade even after the rather persistent Bergliez Shorthair found him yet again, mistakenly believing he had fish on him.

“My apologies, dear cat. I’m afraid I still owe you a filet.” Hubert had a lot on his mind as he gave the cat neck scratches. 

He could see the nightwatch in the sky, yet there was a pegasus that seemed unusually...sprightly. Odd, they were usually graceful. Not only that, but when Hubert gazed at it, it appeared to be making eye contact with him. It was this wayward, untamed pegasus that had been giving him the sensation that he was being watched.

The other knights saw it and chased after it when it appeared to be riderless.

It must have escaped from the stables.

Hubert hated gambling, but If Hubert were a betting man, he would have bet Bernadetta would be back in her room by the morning. He wouldn’t press her, not exactly, but her behavior was alarming and suspicious, even if this was happening now for the third month in a row.

After dawn broke, Hubert went to check if his hypothesis was correct.

“Yeah?”

“It’s me.”

Bernadetta quickly opened the door, wearing her nightgown. Her hair was wet and she smelled like one of the fruity bathwater scents the sauna had. “You’re back!” She brought him down for a kiss. He moved forward, allowing her to shut the door and lead him to the bed. “I missed you!”

She covered his face with kisses. “I missed you as well.” He cleared his throat, trying not to feel overwhelmed by her affection. “I arrived last night. I was looking for you but you weren’t anywhere to be found.”

“I might have um...I might have fallen asleep when I was tending to Blueberry in the stables.”

 _A lie_. Hubert’s ears pricked. 

“Did you now?”

Bernadetta nodded slowly. “Um…”

“There was word of a stray pegasus. Surely you’d have known of it.”

Her face grew red. “Oh no it’s all Bernie’s fault! Please don’t be mad at me!” He had caught her in the lie. 

“You weren’t in the stables last night, Bernadetta. Otherwise…”

She shook her head. “No, I was.” She began to murmur about how he would kill her. 

He tried to place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She stopped wincing whenever he touched the area a while ago, but somehow still regretted the action, especially since she was so visibly wincing. “Bernadetta. I would encourage you to tell me anything that’s bothering you. I know I am a foul man and I have the blood of many on my hands, but you...you are…” He couldn’t finish his sentence. It was too trite, too sentimental to his liking. 

“Hubert...Just trust me…” She took a deep breath. “I actually did pass out in the stables in the middle of the night, even though I wasn’t there during the earlier part of the evening.”

His hand found her chin, tilting it up. Their eyes made contact. 

This wasn’t a lie. But her earlier statement was. Something wasn’t adding up. “Bernadetta,” he said, moving away from the bed. “Perhaps this is foolish of me to say this as a man who has trouble being an optimist, but I hope that one day, you will open yourself up to me. I will always be at the ready for you.”

And with that, he left her in her room. He could hear her sobbing, but he continued on walking.

* * *

**Guardian Moon, 1186**

Hubert had to clarify that no, the day after their...argument, that he was not ending his relationship with Bernadetta. She had spent the next few days sobbing in her room and avoiding him at all costs until he had accosted her and asked her what her problem was. 

She was surprised to find out that no, he was very much still interested in building a relationship with her. The strain, although bothersome, was not significant to actively hinder them. Hubert was a man of secrets after all, but the issue was that Bernadetta appeared pained, and in more ways than one. 

The Ethereal Moon had been an eventful month.

It had started with Bernadetta’s birthday, which had brought them closer again with them having a romantic candlelit dinner, and with the hubbub of everyone coming back for the reunion--and Edelgard’s long awaited hopes coming to fruition, things got busy, even for Hubert.

The return of their Professor sparked a light inside Edelgard that would not burn and now the war had been reignited with renewed energy. The energy was infectious, as even Bernadetta was now outside her room more than ever.

Hubert didn’t have time to follow Bernadetta or even keep tabs on her health and well being. It was regretful, but now that matters were back in full swing, it had to be that way.

And now it was the Guardian Moon. 

The Professor, for whatever reason, spent the last few weeks intensely re-training the Strike Force. Within a month, Bernadetta would presumably take her certification exam and become a Falcon Knight. Hubert was, much to his chagrin, forced to be reclassified into a Dark Knight. His experience with horses was rather limited, but he was paired with a black stallion with a name that was too congenial for his job description. 

“It appears I must tend to you this evening, Licorice.” It had only added to his massive and unending list of chores. He didn’t know how Bernadetta, Petra, and Ferdinand could provide this much upkeep and responsibility to their mounts. Licorice was not necessarily the most obedient mount, having something of a temper, but he was fearsome on the battlefield. He was an ideal warhorse. That didn’t stop the horse from fidgeting the entire time Hubert came to groom him. “If you stay still, this will end sooner for the both of us.” Hubert made sure to not leave a single spot unbrushed. It was quite a difficult task to do during the nighttime, especially when Licorice’s coat was as black as the sky above them. “I do not know how Bernadetta does this.” The Professor had said that grooming and taking care of your horse was an essential way to bond, which would extend in the battlefield. Surely that had to be true, as Bernadetta and Blueberry were nigh inseparable. 

Licorice had gotten stiff all of a sudden.

Hubert turned around and saw a pegasus that was out of its stable.

It was smaller than some of the pegasai he had grown used to seeing, even smaller than Blueberry, who was average for her size. It must have been an adventurous foal. He looked around the stables, attempting to see if someone could corral this wayward pegasai, but no one was around. 

Hubert figured he might as well.

He didn’t expect things to go well, after all, pegasus were notoriously finicky creatures. He had admired them, but knew one could easily take to disliking him. “Excuse me,” he told his horse before approaching the pegasus. Despite being small, it was still bigger than him.

It didn’t do anything as he neared. Only watching him with what appeared to be interest. 

“How did you get out?” he asked it. 

Of course, it wasn’t going to answer him. Hubert carefully extended his hand and patted the gray mane that shone in the moonlight. The horse did not react in any negative way. Realizing he still had the brush in his hand, he lifted it up and carefully brushed its mane. All it did was watch him.

Hubert had never had this much contact with a pegasus before, not even with Blueberry. He laughed to himself.

The creature huffed and cantered, as though asking him what was so funny.

“I’ve never touched one like this,” he said, now using his hands to feel its coat. It was too cold outside to take his gloves off. “I’ve always found your kind majestic. Always taking off into the skies without the fear of falling, even with the ever present danger of archers and wind magic. I envy it.” Hubert continued as he brushed their mane. “As sinister and frightening as my appearance may suggest, I am actually quite craven. I’ve always wanted to do this and yet my fears have prevented me from doing so.” 

It was such a gentle and tender moment between him and this rather rebellious pegasus. “I wonder what Bernadetta would say if she were here.” It was a rather attractive pegasus, its doe eyes adding to its angelic appearance.

“I’m afraid our time together is coming to an end.” He saw the creature didn’t have a saddle, nor anything else. He would have to rein it in himself and he had no idea how he would accomplish that.

The pegasus appeared to understand that and began to reverse.

“Don’t be like that,” he said. “While I understand your proclivity for freedom, we are, after all in a war. I do not want to--”

It neighed and extended its wings, causing Hubert to fall back. It only took a second, but it was flying up in the air again, and then was out of sight. Moments later, he saw the monastery knights go after it. 

Hubert resigned himself to what happened. There was nothing else he could do. 

When he retreated to his dorm room, he saw the shape of a pegasus outside his window. He thought he was going insane for a moment before opening up the window, letting in a blast of cold air inside. 

It was indeed the same pegasus from before, watching him, its wings flapping.

His eyes fell on the pegasus’ gaze, and its doe like eyes appeared to be oddly human-like. It was uncanny.

And then in a flash, it was gone again.

Hubert closed the window and regulated himself to telling Bernadetta all about this odd encounter and how he could befriend this wild foal. After all, she was the expert.

* * *

**Pegasus Moon, 1186**

Matters got even busier when the Pegasus Moon arrived. It was as though every errand had come to light since the Professor had arrived. Hubert even had his own matters to attend to. 

But a break had come in the form of Petra’s need for assistance in Brigid. 

The Professor had insisted Bernadetta come visit the archipelago despite her not wanting to. It was an odd thing to note, her sudden change in behavior. Bernadetta was outside a lot more.

But Hubert managed to temper her over.

After all, it did coincide with a year since their relationship had started, even though Bernadetta had completely forgotten. Hubert knew better than to treat this like a tropical getaway in the middle of the war, but to spend a week in a warm location was a welcome change, even though the sun flared below them. It was a pleasant moment of respite, even though they did have a nasty encounter with Catherine.

Hubert felt self conscious wearing lighter clothes, but watching Bernadetta in a lilac sundress made his heart do flips. He had picked an hour where the sun wasn’t shining down as harshly to ask her to accompany him on a walk down the beach.

They held hands as they did so.

“Do you know what day it is today, Bernadetta?” he asked.

“The day before we leave?”

She really did not know. Hubert gave a low and throaty laugh. “Today marks one year since we had our...moment together.”

She stopped walking. “You mean our first kiss?” 

“Precisely.”

“Oh no I can’t believe I forgot our anniversary! I’m sorry, Hubert, I just have so much on my mind. I’ve been a horrible girlfriend to you and--”

He used his other hand to silence her by placing it over her lips. “If I must be honest, it is a miracle I even remembered it myself. And you are, the best thing that’s ever come into my life since.”

“Don’t say that!” she said, allowing a sob to escape her. She got closer to him as he embraced her. Sometimes when she cried, all she needed was the bare minimum amount of physical contact. 

“Do you remember what you said after I kissed you?”

“I…”

“I said something along the lines that I had known you for so long. That you were worth so much to me. No, the timing wasn’t ideal, but the way I feel is.” The words felt too sweet for his mouth to say. 

She stopped crying. “And then you kissed me again,” she said, giving him a light peck. “I wish I were as good as a lover to you the way you are to me. Maybe father was right after all.”

“I don’t believe that fool was ever right in anything he did. After all, he did commit fraud and crimes against children.”

“I’m just not honest with you, that’s all…”

“Is that it, Bernadetta? You’re telling the one person who weaves and commands a spider web of intelligence across _several_ nations that you are not honest?”

“Don’t we need trust?”

Hubert never understood relationships. All he had ever known was his connection to Edelgard, which was built on mutual trust. However, he did go behind her back often. With Bernadetta, there was little to do on that front. She wasn’t running a country, after all. “I suppose so.” He had wondered how this late afternoon stroll derailed so quickly.

“The sun’s starting to set soon. I should go.” The statement had been so sudden. Did she not like spending time with him? Especially since it was an hours long vacation for them.

“I set aside all plans for us to celebrate our first year together. Please don’t go.”

“I…” She looked at the waves as they crashed on the shore. 

“I know we are facing east so we will be unable to see the sunset, but we can enjoy other sights together.”

“Alright,” she said. 

Hubert had come prepared for this occasion. Bringing a basket that contained a blanket and some Brigidian delicacies provided by Petra herself.

They lay down on the beach and already he could feel sand getting everywhere. He would need to wash it out later. He held onto Bernadetta as the cloudless sky began to change colors, going from clear blue to a tinge of orange.

“Hubert?”

“What is it?”

“Do you think I’m marriageable?” she asked.

The question stopped him in his tracks. Marriage was in the very back of his mind. He wouldn’t take a wife until he knew things were right in the world. It was a loaded question and Hubert didn’t know how to proceed. “Are you asking me to marry you?”

“Um, no…”

“There’s a war going on,” he said. “I’m afraid I haven’t sat down and pondered the question, if that’s what you’re asking. But if you’re asking about yourself, I cannot see a man be foolish enough to not take you for his spouse.” He held onto her even tighter. “I would like to be that man someday, if you’ll have me. But for now, you’ll have to contend with the fact that I am madly in love with you, Bernadetta.”

There it was. He wanted to say it tonight, but he wasn’t certain if saying he was in love with her during the war was a good idea. 

“I-I-I-” Dread filled him as Bernadetta struggled to speak. “I love you too.” His heart beat wildly at her mutual admission. “But Bernie’s cursed.”

“Cursed? That’s a new one.” Was she taking a page from the Edmund girl?

“No, something happened to Bernie five months ago...It’s hard to explain and once you find out you’ll hate me.” The sky began to change colors faster. All the shades of blue were rapidly fainting.

“I could never hate you.” Unless she were on Dimitri or the Church’s side, but her loyalties were exclusively to her homeland. And even then.

“Oh, I don’t have time. The moon’s gonna be up soon! It’s why I wanted to leave.”

“Give me an abridged version.”

“Please don’t leave me when I tell you, Hubert!” She began to appear pale. He offered her some sweets, but she declined. Bernadetta never did that. It was that serious. She stood up, backing away from him. With each step he took closer to her, she took one back.

“I won’t.”

“Do you remember that night, five months ago when we were, um, well, when I had to leave you before I remembered I forgot to feed Blueberry?”

“And you were sick the next day. I had assumed you were...to be blunt, on your courses.”

She shook her head. “Something’s wrong with me. I found a pegasus that didn’t belong. I had wondered if it was a new one, but I knew all of them anyway. When I approached it, it bit me. Right over here.” She pointed to a place near her shoulder where he recalled seeing a bruise. It was no longer there, but a scar was. “It drew blood. I was scared and was going to see a physician because I think it infected me. But...I don’t think this infection is normal. I can’t explain it!” The words had tumbled out of her and she was speaking too fast for him to fully process it. “I don’t have time to keep explaining.” She looked at the sky. The moon was starting to come out. 

“Stray pegasus?” he asked, understanding that part. “I had an encounter with one last month.”

“It wasn’t the one that bit me. I don’t know what happened to them.” He wondered how she could have possibly known that. Unless…

It dawned on him right before Bernadetta spoke. An eerie glow began to surround her. “No, that pegasus you saw was me.”

It had happened so quickly. Her body contorted and elongated. She did not scream nor appear to be in pain. The girl who stood in front of him, the girl he loved was now standing in front of him as a pegasus. Her pretty lilac sundress had been torn.

“Bernadetta?”

All she did was whinny. 

There was no mistaking it was the pegasus from last month.

And with that, all the pieces fell into place. It was quite a burden to carry, and this had to be some kind of unknown, dark magic at play here. He walked closer to her and placed his hands on her mane, his fingers brushing her. “Such a secret to carry, my dear. I love you, no matter what.”

Bernadetta flapped her wings and bucked. He couldn’t fight against her as she got him on top of her and he scrambled to stay straight. She flew at a low altitude, at least one foot above around. Nothing that was too dangerous. They flew together under cloudless clear skies.

He had stayed with her all throughout the night, ensuring her health and safety were prioritized. The one thing he saw that was rather curious was that the scarring she had from the bite--and some of her other visible scars that originated from her upbringing-- didn’t transfer to this form.

When dawn arrived, Hubert found a safe spot in the jungle for her to transform back. She had been nude. The best he could do was look away out of respect for her and offer her the blanket they used before her transformation. They had retrieved it at one point earlier in the evening, but he had forgotten she had torn her clothes. 

“I’m sorry I put you through that.”

“No need,” he said, making sure no one was around before she entered her suite. She had appeared sickly and pale once more, no doubt because of her sleepless night and the strain of transformation.

They had to get ready quickly, there was no time to talk, as they had to go back to Fódlan once more.

After attending to Edelgard for a debrief of errands, she had dismissed him and he found Bernadetta in her small cabin, sleeping. It was dark inside save for a small, magically made candle. He put a hand on her forehead. She was warm but not feverish.

Bernadetta stirred. “Hubert?”

“I did not mean to wake you up.”

“I’m...well...um, that was that so....thanks.”

He gave her the smallest of smiles. “It was of no consequence. I am always content to serve you.”

“I’m sorry for keeping it from you.”

It made sense why she kept such a thing of magnitude from him. “This is similar to lycanthropy, except I’ve never heard of it being extended to pegasus, but it fits that classification.” Her transformation even happened under a full moon. “When we get home I will research this and ensure there is a way to cure this. And if not, then perhaps we can scale down the effects. I need to find out if this is dark magic at play. It’s possible our vermin, Those Who Slither in the Dark, could be behind this.”

Bernadetta pulled him down next to her. “Thank you, Hubert. You’re such a great person.”

He didn’t want to dispute that. He was only great to her because he loved her so much. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. “We will find an end to this. I will do all I can.”

Hubert did have one question for her, but she was tired and deserved rest. “Do you...do you retain memories of what happens during these times you are not yourself?”

“Um...yep,” she said, tiredly. “And I don’t think you’re a coward, Hubert. And maybe one day, I can help you with your fear of heights. They say it’s the pegasus who chooses their rider, so um, I want you to ride me, if that’s ever the case.”

“Er, uh…”

Bernadetta was clearly too exhausted to realize her words had another, more _improper_ meaning. It was for the best that he wouldn’t point that out otherwise she’d fully awaken to her nerves spiraling out of control, especially after such a harrowing confession. “I wouldn’t mind that at all, Bernadetta.”

“Mmm, okay.”

He ran his fingers through her hair until her breaths were steady and she had fallen back asleep again. “Goodnight, and may you dream of cloudless, clear skies to fly upon.”


End file.
